


Fuck, Marry, Kill (Me Now)

by Penmanner



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Cedric is just Adorable™, Draco and Harry are pretty much best buds, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Ginny and Pansy are sneaky shipping lesbians, Harry has a harem, Harry is pretty much dating the whole school, Humor, I suck at being aware of my own damn writing, Light Angst, M/M, Purely self indulgent writing, Tom you possessive bastard, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, maybe????, same age au, smut????
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-29
Updated: 2019-08-06
Packaged: 2019-12-26 01:24:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18272942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Penmanner/pseuds/Penmanner
Summary: Harry Potter was expecting a pretty much empty Great Hall when he came down for breakfast that morning. He was expecting the Weasleys to be waiting for him in their usual spot, like always. He was expecting the twins to play some prank or another, and he expected to laugh at it. What he did not expect was three handsome boys’ avid interest in Ginny’s very unexpected question: Fuck, Marry, Kill?On hiatus until further notice!





	1. Let The Games Begin!

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or any affiliated characters.
> 
> Warning: This work is entirely unbeta’d, so all mistakes are entirely my own!
> 
> Kudos and comments are very much appreciated! <3

“Fuck, marry, kill: Diggory, Riddle, and Malfoy.”

 

Harry’s eyes flew open as orange juice was spewed everywhere. Ginny glared at him, juice dripping from her sleeves. She took a napkin and wiped her arms, even as Harry was doing the same to his face and plate. She handed him a new plate and another napkin, seeing as he needed it.

 

“Hold on, back up–what did you just say?” Harry spluttered, his eyes wide as saucers.

 

“I said, fuck, marry, ki–,” Ginny began, rolling her eyes, before being cut off by a frantic wave of Harry’s hand.

 

“No, I know that you said.. Said _that_ , but–but what did you say before?” Harry stuttered, his face turning red. Ginny smirked.

 

“Ever the listener, Harry. If you’d been listening to a _word_ I said, you’d know I’d been talking about the conversation the girls in my dorm were having last night. They had a question for you–wanted your opinion, really–on the subject. Now, answer the question! Fuck, marry, kill: Diggory, Riddle, and Malfoy.”

 

“U-Um, well,” Harry said, stuttering. He pushed his eggs idly around his plate, giving himself a moment to compose himself. Why did he have to be such a blushing _virgin_? “Well, I, uh, I s’pose I’ll start with the first option? I think.. I think they’d all be rather good, but I think Cedric might be a little too.. Gentle? Draco’d be nice, I think he’d be a switcher, but I don’t know if he’d be quite as... passionate, as the other two. Tom, on the other hand, would be the best, I think–I feel like he’d be a good, rough fuck. Probably a kinky bastard, too. So, uh, yeah. Fuck Tom. Literally.”

 

Unnoticed by Harry, a shadow had fallen over him. Three had, actually. Too busy in his talking, he didn’t notice how Ginny’s eyes trailed upwards, looking over him, to someone else. A small smile playing on her lips, she looked back to Harry, urging him to continue.

 

Harry swallowed, his blush creeping down to his neck, before continuing at Ginny’s behest. “As for marry, that one seems obvious. Cedric seems to be big on sweet things and grand gestures and all that romantic stuff, so I think he’d be the best for that role. Breakfast in bed and all that. I mean, Draco’d probably be nice and all, but Cedric seems to have a real... knack, for that. So yeah, marry Cedric. And I guess that means, well, kill Draco. Uh, whoops, I guess?”

 

Harry turned his embarrassed gaze from the table to Ginny, only to be met with a mischievous grin that truly rivaled Fred’s and George’s. “Been thinking about this a lot, have you?”

 

“Uh, well, I don’t know about that, but–I mean, I think everyone’s thought about one of those three at, uh, some point in time,” Harry said. He shoved another forkful of eggs into his mouth, but regretted it almost as soon as Ginny began talking.

 

“Like when you’ve got your hand down your pants?” Ginny inserted slyly. Harry nearly choked at the sudden question. He almost spewed food everywhere, again, too, but managed to contain himself and his food. It was a near thing, though.

 

“NO! Why’d you say that?” Harry shrieked, coughing violently. He seemed to get even redder, as if that were even possible.

 

“I don’t know, they’re attractive, charming, assholes... Exactly your type!” Ginny smiled, before turning her eyes to the figures behind Harry. “Right, boys?”

 

This time, Harry did choke, needing a good, hard thump on his back from Draco. It was somewhat aggressive, probably due to the fact that Harry essentially chose to kill him, but Harry failed to notice it due to his complete and utter _embarrassment_. “I’m going to kill you,” Harry croaked, glaring at a smug Ginny. She gave him two thumbs up, before motioning for him to turn around.

 

He did so, reluctantly, before staring up into the faces of three very handsome young men. Tom Riddle stood, front and center, looking at Harry with a sultry leer and a shark-like smile. Harry gulped, before turning to the left to look at the blushing face of Cedric Diggory, and again turning to look at the disgruntled face of one Draco Malfoy.

 

“Uh.. Can I help you?” Harry said, his eyes staring resolutely forward, trying his best to stand (sit) tall and not like he’d just had the humiliation of a lifetime.

 

Riddle leaned in, all pale skin and dark hair and dangerous, sexy smile. “I don’t know, Harry. It almost sounded as if you’d like _me_ to help _you_ ,” he purred, tipping Harry’s head back with a finger under his chin.

 

Harry ignored the flush creeping up his face, instead willing himself to continue glaring Tom Riddle into the ground. He was saved, luckily, by a pissed off Cedric Diggory. “Down, Riddle,” he grumbled, before guiding Riddle, with no small amount of effort, away from Harry. “Merlin, let the boy breathe, will you?”

 

Cedric tipped his sweet, angelic face down to look at Harry, a shy smile blossoming. Harry couldn’t help but smile back, the openness and brightness of Cedric’s smile nearly blinding. Harry turned his head at the clearing of Riddle’s throat, scowling. Draco pointedly rolled his eyes at the exchange. “Way to leave me for dead, Potter. Do I not mean enough to you? Or should I up my seduction skills?”

 

Harry snorted, looking to Draco with an amused smile. “As if you could even try, Malfoy. Sorry about that, though. I’m sure you’re perfectly fine in the, ah... Performance division.”

 

Draco huffed a laugh at that, too, before pausing, thoughtfully. “I mean, if you’d like me to prove it to you, it wouldn’t be any trouble.”

 

Harry blinked, uncomprehending, before the meaning of Draco’s words hit him. His mouth formed a small ‘o’ shape and his eyes grew wide, but before he could reply, or even jumpstart his brain into action, Riddle cut him off. “It doesn’t really matter what you do, though, does it? After all, I’m sure I could find a great deal many more ways to.. satisfy.. his needs. You said it yourself, didn’t you, Harry?”

 

Harry refused to shrink back into the table under that intense gaze, even if all he wanted to do was sink through the floor. “I, uh–,”

 

“Well, I’d like to see you try!” Draco spat, glaring at the elder snake.

 

“Now, guys, I don’t think this is the time or place–,” Cedric began, moving in between them.

 

Riddle interrupted him, his voice congenial but his eyes a promise of violence. “How about a friendly wager? If you can change his mind, I’ll give up my position as the Head Slytherin. If you lose, though, you have to agree to stay away from Harry’s affairs. His courting affairs, especially.”

 

Draco paused, looking up at Riddle with a clearly shocked expression on his face. Riddle smirked, a shark tasting blood, before goading further. “What? Can’t live up to your words? I figured of all people, a Malfoy might be able to pull this off, but I guess not. A shame, really. I was so looking forward to showing you your place.”

 

“Fine!” Draco said, his voice rising with irritation. “But I want you put under the same conditions as me if you lose.”

 

“I agree,” Cedric chimed in. “I’ll join, too. I’m sure it’d be difficult for Harry dealing with two Slytherins at once. Count me in.”

 

Riddle smiled. “That settles it, then. May the best man win.”

 

With that, Riddle turned to address Harry, but was met with the sight of an empty seat. He was gone.

 

“Well, let the chase begin,” Cedric said, smiling, before running out of the Great Hall, the few people staying over winter break watching his moving form. Tom cursed under his breath, before strolling elegantly (and somewhat quickly) out as well. Draco paused, shoved his hands into his pockets, and followed after them.

 

Ginny kicked Harry out from where he was hiding under the table. “They’re gone now. Good luck with that bunch; I expect you’ll have quite the handful. On the bright side, at least now you can get laid.”

 

She laughed at his miserable groan.


	2. Escape Route

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or any affiliated characters.
> 
> Warning: This work is entirely unbeta’d, so all mistakes are entirely my own!
> 
> Kudos and comments are very much appreciated! <3

After the whole debacle, Harry had lingered in the Great Hall for a little while longer, hoping that none of the boys would come looking for him in the place he had supposedly fled from. Alas, though Harry’s luck was good (inhuman, more like), it didn’t grant miracles. Upon seeing a familiar head of light chestnut hair entering through the great oak doors, Harry slipped out through a side passage, usually reserved for the (mostly absent) staff and occasional house elf.

 

Not sure what to do since he was essentially the victim of a manhunt, Harry followed the small corridor and, upon remembering something about a secret passageway from one of his many perusals of the Marauder’s Map, tapped several bricks before appearing outside of the castle’s walls.

 

Smiling at his good fortune, Harry practically skipped to the Quidditch pitch, hoping it would clear his head (as the sport often did). As he walked, though, he couldn’t help but think on his current problem.

 

He was flattered by the attention, of course, especially considering how handsome and accomplished each boy was (not to mention their individual brands of intelligence), but he hated that he didn’t know their motives. While he was sure that Cedric’s were probably the most innocent, Hufflepuff that he was, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something else might be happening under the surface. A power play, perhaps?

 

Harry would totally expect that from Riddle, considering who he is, and maybe even from Draco, despite the fact that they were good friends, but Cedric? He seemed so earnest and kind! Other than maybe actually holding a torch for Harry (a fact which made Harry blush profusely just thinking about), what other reasons might he have for joining this competition? He and Harry were just becoming friends, for goodness’ sake! To get into Harry’s pants seemed completely out of character for him.

 

Riddle, on the other hand, seemed the most likely out of the three to enter with an ulterior motive. He was charming, yes, but manipulative as well, and not to mention a bit of a psychopath. Harry scowled at the remembrance of his discovery of these traits. He and Riddle had been close when they were younger, but after they went their separate ways, Harry just kind of figured they’d stay apart. They were on a neutral ground with each other, so Harry had figured giving an honest opinion of whether or not Riddle would be a good shag would’ve been fine. But, as Riddle often did, he managed to change everything with a simple twist of words. Harry should’ve expected it, really. Riddle’s reasoning behind it all, though, was yet to be discovered.

 

Unnoticed by a very pensive Harry, he’d arrived at his destination. He was wrenched from his inner thoughts when a broom zoomed overhead, narrowly missing his hair. It seemed that his feet had carried him on autopilot while he was lost in his head.

 

Before he could register who had just tried to rip his head off, the broom was hovering a good sixty feet away, its rider’s features barely distinguishable. Harry squinted, brows furrowed, before recognizing the red hair glinting in the sunlight.

 

”Ron!” Harry called, waving his arms in the air like a madman. He grinned when he saw Ron turn at the sound of his name, before giving a wave that mirrored Harry’s own.

 

Ron flew down to meet him, landing awkwardly on the frost covered grass. He swung his leg over his broom and propped it up, leaning on it. He smiled widely at Harry, his hair slicked and frozen to his forehead with sweat. “Hey, mate! Just come back from breakfast?”

 

”Yeah,” Harry said, nodding. He was reluctant to recount the events of his morning, so he opted to ask Ron a question instead. “What’re you doing down at the pitch so early? We don’t have another match til break’s over, and hardly any of the team’s here...”

 

”Oh, I know,” Ron said, wiping his brow. “Just wanted to practice a bit, that’s all. Neville woke me up and I couldn’t get back to sleep, so I figured I’d just come down here.”

 

Harry grimaced in sympathy. Neville wasn’t the stealthiest of the lot, and on the rare days he managed to get up early, the whole dorm suffered. Harry’s gaze darted up to Ron’s, a sudden question pulling Harry from the unpleasant memory. “Hey, you never told me why you stayed over break. Is everything okay at the Burrow?” Harry’s gut twisted at the thought of any one of the Weasleys getting hurt. They were his family, after all.

 

Harry’s worry must’ve shown on his face, as Ron’s eyes widened and he waved his hands in a hurried effort to correct Harry’s suspicions. “Oh, no, nothing like that! Mum and Dad went to go visit Bill and Charlie, and since Ginny and I were going to be staying anyway, the twins decided they might as well stay, too. Sorry I didn’t tell you, I completely forgot about it.”

 

Harry smiled, his heart brimming with gratitude. The fact that Ron and Ginny would’ve stayed, anyway, to keep him company made him feel like he was soaring. Unsure how to put his gratitude into words, Harry opted for the closest he could get. “Thanks, mate. I’m glad they’re okay... Hey, wanna practice together? I’ve been itching to get back on a broom.”

 

Ron’s whole face seemed to light up at the prospect. “Yeah! Race you to the broom-shed!”

 

”You’re on!” Harry said, smirking, before sprinting across the white grass, the morning’s events forgotten from his mind.

–

After following the two prefects out of the Great Hall, Draco had wandered around the castle aimlessly. He knew that if he went looking for Harry, it was very unlikely that he’d find him. If he wandered about and let Harry come to him, he knew that Harry was bound to show up eventually. 

 

Draco’d eventually found himself standing at the foot of one of the moving staircases. Incidentally, the one that led to Gryffindor tower. He stood for a moment, debating the prospect of going up, before he heard a soft rustling from a hallway to his right. Frowning, he turned, before catching sight of a very familiar head of perfectly coiffed dark hair.

 

Curious and with nothing to lose, he peered around the corner, watching as Tom Riddle prowled quietly down the empty corridor, before turning a corner and disappearing, as if he’d never been there.

 

 _What?_ Draco thought, brows furrowed.

 

He’d seen Riddle head towards the library, and just now by the Gryffindor dorms. Draco supposed the obvious place to look would be here, but then why was he heading in the opposite direction? He couldn’t have just exited the dorms, Draco would’ve seen him, so where had he been? And, most importantly, where was he going?

 

Deciding that he didn’t have anything better to do, Draco crept along the wall, following the soft _click clack_ of Riddle’s footsteps. Draco managed to get up two flights of stairs before he lost him.

 

Frowning, Draco turned around, ready to give up on this asinine mission, before nearly running smack-dab into who he was _supposed_ to be following. Gasping in surprise, Draco stumbled back, nearly tripping over his own two feet. He looked up into Riddle’s dark eyes, unwillingly shuddering at the cold fury present in them.

 

”Well, what do we have here? Malfoy, it seems to me you’ve forgotten yourself. Following a prefect? A rather foolish thing to do, don’t you think?” Riddle asked, the perfect picture of helpful student, though his eyes betrayed his true fury. Draco nodded, mutely. Riddle smiled in satisfaction, continuing.

 

“Before something _unfortunate_ befalls you, I suggest you head back from whence you came. In fact.. Care for me to escort you?” Riddle said, his voice making the question seem more like a command.

 

Draco’s pureblood training clicked into place. A bland mask settled over his features, and a detached sort of calm completed his facade. “Yes, my lord,” he muttered, keeping his eyes downcast.

 

”Excellent,” Riddle announced. Draco chanced a glance upward, catching a glimpse of a razor sharp smile. He grabbed Draco firmly around the upper arm, pulling him along behind as he made his way down to the dungeons.

 

After a silent march down four flights of stairs, Riddle released his grip on Draco’s arm (which would undoubtedly bruise in the morning). For a moment, Draco was convinced Riddle was going to kill him, as now would be the perfect time to do so, what with there being no witnesses around. Instead, Riddle dismissed him with a simple, “Off you go, then.”

 

Draco’s eyes again flicked up to Riddle’s, pausing, before following Riddle’s order. He turned, preparing to head down to the dungeons, before pausing at the sound of Riddle’s voice.

 

”Oh, and Draco?” Draco turned, looking over his shoulder, confusion written all over his face. Riddle smiled, coldly, his canines on full display. Draco resisted the urge to shrink back into the shadows, or, even better, get swallowed up by the floor.

 

”About this competition,” Riddle began, adjusting his sleeves, before fixing his intense gaze on Draco once more. “Though I.. _encourage_ you to try your best, it would be quite dreadful if an accident just so happened to fall upon you, would it not? Make sure to keep an eye out. Competition can bring out the worst of people, even in the most charming of men.”

 

Draco’s eyes widened minutely, before he tilted his head in a stiff nod, trying not to run as he fled to the common room.

–

Draco collapsed into one of the plush, emerald green chairs of the Slytherin common room. He closed his eyes, trying not to remember how close to death he might’ve been. Though Draco admired the Slytherin King, perhaps a little too much, he couldn’t say he had a particular fondness for his mood swings and psychopathic tendencies.

 

”What’s wrong with you?” A familiar voice asked. Draco cracked open an eye to see Pansy lounging across one of the love seats, a book cradled in her lap. Draco huffed, sliding his eye closed again, before sighing. “I did it.”

 

”Did what?” Pansy said, distracted, her gaze still trained on the pages in front of her.

 

”The dare. I did it.”

 

Pansy bolted upright, whirling around to look at him. “You...? Oh, Merlin, Draco, I can’t believe you actually made a move! What happened? What did he say?”

 

Draco took a deep breath before replying. “Well, the female Weasley asked Harry a question–you know that insufferable fuck or kill nonsense? Yes, that. She asked him and he said he’d marry Diggory, fuck _Riddle_ , and _kill me_. Offended, obviously, I asked him if I could show him why I should _not_ be killed, and Pansy? I’m now genuinely concerned for my life.”

 

”Don’t worry about that! Continue!” Pansy insisted, moving her hand in a _get on with it_ gesture.

 

Draco sighed, long sufferingly, before letting his head fall back onto the chair. “Pansy, I challenged Riddle. In the Great Hall. In front of _everyone_. I’m going to wake up with a knife in my stomach tomorrow, I just know it. And even then, no one would think it was him, because everyone _adores_ him. If people loved him any more than they do they would call him God.”

 

Pansy laughed, before slipping into a more thoughtful expression. “He’d probably use poison, actually; it would make it harder to trace back to him...,” she muttered. Draco balked at the prospect.

 

Pansy shook herself, turning a bright smile Draco’s way. “But that doesn’t matter! What did Harry say about it?” Pansy said, scooting closer to Draco.

 

”I don’t know,” Draco groaned, disregarding his pureblood training and sinking lower into his seat. “He ran away before any of us could question him. I was looking for him, actually, when I stumbled across Riddle, and, well...”

 

”Well?” Pansy prompted, impatient.

 

”He told me that even the most charming men can turn violent in a competition.”

 

”Oh,” Pansy said, grimacing. “Yes, I can see why you would be worried. You’re right about the murder part, that sounds dreadful.” She sat for a moment, before smiling wickedly. “Maybe Harry’s into necrophilia?”

 

Draco choked out a laugh before throwing a pillow her way and hitting her in the face. “Pansy, never talk to me again.”

 

She batted the pillow away, grinning. “You know you love me,” she said cheekily.

 

”And I have to wonder why,” Draco said, rolling his eyes. He felt lighter since his encounter with Riddle just thirty minutes ago. Maybe Pansy could help him survive the next few weeks, after all.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~Look who’s back, back again~
> 
> Heyo! The response on last chapter was so good, I felt it was my duty to add another chapter! Less focus on Harry this time, as Draco’s pov fit better with the storyline. I’ll probably be switching up the character focus every once in a while, so keep that in mind when reading! 
> 
> I don’t have a clear posting schedule, so I can’t tell you when the next update will come out, but I’m hoping sometime in April! See you guys then! <3


	3. Dinner is Served!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or any affiliated characters.
> 
> Warning: This work is entirely unbeta’d, so all mistakes are entirely my own!
> 
> Kudos and comments are very much appreciated! <3

Harry and Ron dragged themselves back from the quidditch pitch, their limbs heavy and their bodies glistening with sweat. They’d been outside for at least four hours, though they had to take a quick break to eat lunch. After swiping quite the collection of sandwiches from the banquet tables, Harry and Ron had gone back to the pitch, their spirits up and their stomachs full.

 

After several hours they’d finally decided that it was time to go in, partially because the day was a tad too warm for the middle of winter in Scotland and also because if they played any more they feared they might fall off of their brooms in exhaustion. Their breaths steaming in the air, they walked back to the castle and stepped inside, their laughter reverberating through the walls. They slowly trudged their way through the corridors, their joints aching, and up towards Gryffindor tower for showers.

 

As they dragged their feet along the hallways, Harry couldn’t help but feel like he was forgetting something. Something big. He brushed it off, intending to ponder on it later, but realization slammed into him as he heard a familiar baritone voice drift through the halls. He stopped abruptly, grabbed Ron’s arm, and yanked him roughly towards the wall, where they could listen without being seen.

 

Ron turned to him, about to ask what the hell Harry was doing, but stopped as Harry held a finger to his lips. “Shhhh,” he said quietly, before removing his finger from his mouth and turning to peer around the corner.

 

Not five yards away was Tom Riddle, his back to them, who was talking to who Harry assumed was Draco Malfoy, judging from the blonde hair that just peeked over Riddle’s shoulder. Harry’s eyes narrowed, and with practiced stealth, he leaned slightly farther around the corner, straining his ears to hear what they were talking about.

 

“...to try your best, it would be quite dreadful if an accident...” Riddle leaned in slightly, lowering his voice as he talked softly with Draco, and Harry nearly fell out of his hiding spot while trying to catch what he was whispering.

 

“...eye out. Competition can bring out the worst of people, even in the most...”

 

Harry nearly cursed as Tom’s voice quieted yet again; he knew it was too risky to try getting any closer. He turned back to Ron, who was listening just as hard as he was. He would’ve laughed at the sternly concentrated look on Ron’s face if it wasn’t so important they be quiet.

 

He motioned for Ron to follow, and they turned around, heading for a corridor that would take them around to another set of moving staircases. Just as they came to the gleaming marble of the steps, Ron broke the silence. “What was that about?”He asked, his voice hushed.

 

“I don’t know. I didn’t hear all of it, just some snippets–what did you hear?”

 

“I heard something about an accident and a competition, but I don’t understand–what competition? There’s no tournaments coming up, s’there? I haven’t heard of any. Plus, you think you’d know about it–you always get sucked into shit like that.”

 

Harry thought for a moment before his eyes widened in understanding. He groaned and scrubbed a hand over his face as he realized what Riddle had been referring to. “Shit,” he mumbled, brushing a hand through his untamable hair–a nervous habit he’d developed when he was stressed. “I think I know exactly what’s going on.”

 

“Want to fill me in, mate?” Ron said, leaning against the banister, his eyebrows raised.

 

Harry sighed, before going over the events of that morning. “While I was at breakfast, a thing happened–your sister asked me about those two twats–“ Harry waved a hand in the general direction they’d just crept away from, “–and Cedric. She asked me who I’d fuck and marry and whatnot and I made the mistake of answering honestly.” Harry sighed again, closing his eyes. “They’re competing against each other–I honestly don’t know what they think they’re gonna get out of it–but it seems Riddle is very serious about winning. It’s all shit.”

 

Ron barked a laugh and then completely dissolved into giggles. Harry glared at him, his eyes a promise of vengeance, but he found he couldn’t keep a smile from slipping into place. He soon joined Ron in his nearly hysterical laughter, who actually had to wipe away tears as he clutched his stomach. “The-situations-you find-yourself in–” Ron wheezed between snorts and chuckles, “Honestly-only you, Harry-“

 

Harry smacked him in the arm, his face red with embarrassment, though he was still grinning. “Shut up, you bastard. It’s not my fault I’m irresistible.”

 

Ron smiled wide, finally calming down a little bit from his laughing fit. “They sure seem to think so,” he said, in between occasional giggles.

 

Harry just rolled his eyes, leaving Ron behind as he made his way up the marble staircase. It really was a miracle the stairs hadn’t moved during Ron’s laughing fit. Maybe they felt bad for Harry. They are probably the only ones that do, Harry thought.

–

Harry tiptoed out of the shower, pulled on some clean clothes he’d found at the bottom of his trunk, and was just about to leave and catch up with Ron (whom had left earlier) when he realized that if he was determined to avoid this competition as efficiently as possible, the Invisibility Cloak and Marauder’s Map would be quite handy. He bent down, groping blindly under his bed, before exclaiming a quiet “Aha!” when he felt something slippery smooth, like water. He pulled out the Invisibility Cloak, along with the map, before stuffing both in his pockets.

 

He rose from his crouching position, still facing the bed, before spotting a small note resting innocently atop his pillow. Unable to stifle his curiosity, he picked it up and gently unfolded it, quickly reading the neat handwriting.

 

_Hi Harry!_

_I’m sorry about the whole fiasco at breakfast this morning–I know you’re not a big fan of attention. I never got to say thank you for choosing to marry me (in the game, of course), so consider this my thank you! If you ever need help getting the other two off your back, you know where to find me!_

_Your (faux) fiancé, Cedric_

 

Harry smiled, a light blush warming his cheeks. Cedric was so thoughtful to thank him–and to apologize! He really didn’t need to do that, though the gesture was appreciated. Harry felt his heart flutter as he read the last four words of the note, and traced the rounded writing with a fingertip. He couldn’t suppress the dopey grin that was overtaking his face, and shook his head at the adorableness of it all. He put the note into his pocket along with his other things, and headed out of the dorm room, his face still a tiny bit flushed.

 

As Harry once again made his way down the halls, he couldn’t help but be shocked by how late it was getting. It was true he’d had breakfast rather late and that he’d been out with Ron for quite a while, even having lunch with him outside, but it just seemed as if the day had passed rather quickly.

 

Harry shrugged it off, then headed straight to the Great Hall, absolutely ravenous from the exercise of the day. He found it odd that the doors were closed, but as he was tired of ignoring his stomach for so long, simply pushed open the large doors that led inside. With a large creak the doors moved inwards, Harry stepping through. It was as if a spell had been cast. The entire room fell silent, all eyes turned to look at him, before everyone simultaneously broke out into whispers.

 

Harry gulped, turned his eyes downward, and quickly made his way to the Gryffindor table. He took his seat in a rather frantic manner, right next to the Weasleys and Neville.

 

“What the hell is going on? What happened?” He asked, panicked. Realizing it probably had something to do with him, he asked, “What did I do?”

 

Neville looked at him with a rather pained expression, while the Weasley twins leered at him from the other side of the table. Ginny was very close to cackling at him for reasons Harry would probably dread, and Ron’s face couldn’t be seen from behind his pile of mashed potatoes.

 

“What happened? Guys?”

 

The twins looked at each other, smiling in what can only be described as an evil manner, before turning to look at Harry.

 

“Haven’t you heard?”

 

“We figured that you, of all people–“

 

“–would’ve learned by now–“

 

“–that your personal life–“

 

“–is open territory!”

 

With that foreboding statement (and creepy display of twin telepathy), the twins burst into laughter, their snickers catching the attention of several other students who were only trying to enjoy their dinner (and stare at Harry from the corners of their eyes).

 

Neville, the good friend that he was, decided that he was tired of this nonsense and would be the best to fill Harry in (and the least likely to laugh at him while doing so). “Everyone knows what happened this morning at breakfast. They’ve started a tournament–they’re placing bets and everything. The whole school’s in on it. So far, there’s about forty contestants–“

 

“–All very attractive!” Ginny chimed in, her eyes glittering with mirth. Harry sent her the glare of a lifetime, and if looks could kill, she’d certainly be six feet under by now.

 

Neville sent her a disapproving look, before turning back to Harry with a sympathetic grimace. “It’s not looking good.”

 

Ron leaned over, his face appearing from over Neville’s shoulder. “You’re downright screwed, mate.”

 

“He’s screwed, all right, but the question is who by!” Ginny said, still laughing.

 

Harry groaned, letting his head hit the hard wood of the table with a dull thunk. “Life’s never gonna be easy for me, is it?”

 

“No,” Ginny said, giggling madly, “No it isn’t.”

–

Draco kept his head down at the Slytherin table, trying to the best of his ability to keep from looking for Potter. After Riddle’s barely disguised threat, he felt that even looking over at the Gryffindor table would be a death sentence. No matter how much he wished to be able to see his friend, he was no Gryffindor. He would not risk his neck for a fleeting glimpse of messy black hair.

 

Draco was so on edge he nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt Pansy shift next to him. “Calm down,” she muttered with a hint of amusement. “You’re acting like Satan is hunting for you. While I have no doubt Riddle has got a little bit of the devil in him, he’s not going to slit your throat for eating.”

 

Draco nearly snorted, but refrained from doing so because he knew she was half right. He instead decided to eat his steak in silence, keeping one wary eye on the head of the table. Tom Riddle sat above them, as per usual, conversing quietly with Zacharias Smith, the Slytherin quidditch captain.

 

In a flash, Riddle had looked up, catching Draco’s eye. A slow smile curled the Slytherin King’s lips, and Draco ducked his head, the back of his neck burning with embarrassment at being caught. Draco waited a few moments, recovering, before turning his eye once more to Riddle’s seat. With a start, Draco realized he was gone.

 

Draco whipped around, searching the Hall with a keen eye, before his slate-grey eyes landed on the object of his search. Riddle, pillar of handsome darkness that he was, was proudly making his way past the house tables, towards an unaware Harry Potter. Fighting against his better instincts, Draco stood, ready to defend his friend from his Lord.

 

Just as he was about to extract himself from the table, a firm hand on his shoulder pushed him back into his chair. “Don’t be foolish,” Pansy whispered into his ear. “If there’s trouble, the idiot Weasleys will take care of it. Now sit down and eat your damn dinner.”

 

Draco huffed but conceded the point, relaxing back into his seat. She’s right, he thought to himself. The Weasleys are far more protective than I could ever hope to be. That didn’t stop him from keeping a watchful eye on the proceedings, though.

–

Harry munched on his potatoes, listening closely to Ginny’s and Neville’s conversation on the benefit of having a sentient animal, like Firenze the centaur, teach them Care of Magical Creatures. Harry had to admit the idea was an interesting one, but all three of them knew that Hagrid would always be their favorite Care teacher.

 

At a light tap on his shoulder Harry turned, coming face to abdomen with Tom Riddle. Harry inhaled sharply, turning his eyes quickly to Tom’s face. Tom’s dark eyes scanned Harry’s features, a small, soft smile set just below his penetrating gaze. He seemed to be in a friendlier mood than usual, but that only put Harry more on edge. What is he doing here?

 

Riddle smiled, his teeth perfectly straight. “Hello, Harry.”

 

“Uh, hi, Tom,” Harry said, uncertain. “Was there something you needed?”

 

“Actually, yes,” he said, taking a set next to Harry at the end of the table. Harry could only gape at him, gobsmacked. Tom Riddle did not sit anywhere other than his seat at the head of the Slytherin table. Ever.

 

“Are you still with me, Harry?” Riddle asked, waving a hand in front of Harry’s shocked face. “You seem to have lost yourself.”

 

Harry shut his mouth with an audible click. “I’m fine, thanks. What did you say you needed?”

 

“I didn’t. I was wondering if you’d like to join me–“

 

“Excuse me,” Ron interrupted, uncaring of the blazing glare Riddle was sending him, “But what are you doing here? You’re not exactly known for inter-house bullshit.”

 

Riddle’s smile stayed on his face, though his eyes seemed just a tad bit darker than before. “If you would’ve let me finish, Weasley, I would’ve answered your question. I was just about to ask Harry,” at this, he turned his gaze back to a skeptical Harry, “if he’d like to join me for the New Year’s celebration in the Slytherin House.”

 

Harry suddenly became much more aware of the audience they’d attracted. He could almost feel the hush that fell over the room. Several pairs of eyes were burning holes into the side of his head, and he nearly curled in on himself from the sensation.

 

“What do you say, Harry?”

 

Harry sat for a moment, weighing the pros and cons. He knew that if he went it would be way easier to keep an eye on the elusive serpent, but that didn’t make the task any more enjoyable. Despite his misgivings, Harry decided that knowing what Riddle was up to would be much better than possibly getting on his bad side, and so he looked Riddle straight in the eye, challenging. “Okay, I’ll go. But I don’t want any surprises, Riddle.”

 

The smirk that Riddle gave him then was absolutely bloodthirsty. “It’s a date, then. I’ll pick you up at seven in front of the Gryffindor portrait.” And with that he stood, nodded at the other Gryffindors, winked at Harry, and left.

 

Harry could still feel the gazes from before drilling into him, and of those, the three teachers watching from the Head Table weighed the heaviest.

–

Horace Slughorn fancied himself the kind of person that was good at recognizing potential. Talent, power, anything like that, even when it was still hiding behind the young face of a brand new student. He could also admit, though, that he was by no means any type of seer. So when his favored student, Tom Riddle, approached Harry Potter, another favored student of his, he couldn’t help a pleased chuckle from escaping his lips. Oh, this was wonderful, indeed.

 

“Horace?” McGonagall said, peering over her glasses at him. Though she didn’t say anything more, Horace could tell that she was awaiting an answer to her silent question.

 

“Yes, Minerva?” He said, attempting to fein innocence. He could tell that she saw right through his act.

 

“I’m half nervous to ask what’s going on in that mind of yours,” she said, eyeing him like he was covered in slime. Horace steadfastly ignored Snape’s snarky agreement and chuckled heartily, not letting their distaste ruin his good mood.

 

“Minerva, I dare say you aren’t nervous of anything,” he said, smiling widely.

 

She looked him over once more before leaning back in her chair. “I dare say you’re correct. Now, I feel it is my duty, as a responsible professor of Hogwarts, to ask why you are eyeing Mr. Potter and Mr. Riddle as if they’ve presented you with the Fountain of Youth. Whatever has you so pleased?”

 

Horace turned his eyes once more to the two young men, who were now sitting together; rather closely, he might add. “Dear Minerva, do you understand what would happen if Mr. Potter and Mr. Riddle took a liking to each other?”

 

“The school would go up in flames,” Snape said dryly, his eyes watching the two other professors with a quiet gleam of amusement. McGonagall sent a scathing look his way before turning her eyes back to Slughorn.

 

“I’m tempted to say they’d be unstoppable,” she said, her steely eyes flitting to the two students in question.

 

“Exactly! Minerva, you do know I adore promoting promising students, and the two of them? Together? I’d practically be famous for backing them, I think! Just imagine all of the things I could do with them as a package.. Oh, the possibilities! I’d go down in history!”

 

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Horace. They’re children!”

 

“Dangerous children,” Snape added. McGonagall glared at him, before continuing, “ _Talented_ children, yes, but children nonetheless...”

 

“If I were able to assist them, I could be in the know with the Ministers of Magic of the future! Do you imagine all I could do with that kind of connection?”

 

“Let’s just hope that never comes to pass,” Snape muttered. Horace sent a frown his way before turning back to the other professor.

 

“Horace, I agree that they have potential, but to want to use that for your own gain? Surely their talents could be better utilized than to simply grant you power, yes?”

 

“I suppose,” he agreed reluctantly. “I do think my assistance will be needed either way, though, so what is the harm in profiting from it? Any other professor would do the same, I think.”

 

McGonagall gave him one last, searching look before turning her eyes back to the two boys. “I hope not,” she said. The three lapsed into a thoughtful, slightly tense silence, their gazes weighing heavily on the two students below them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!
> 
> It’s been a while! Nearly two months, I think. So sorry for the wait, school’s been an absolute nightmare–I’ve actually had this in my drafts for a while, but it took a long time before I was able to actually refine it. Again, so sorry it took so long!
> 
> Anyway, onto better news–I have the whole story laid out! It will take about 23 chapters, though the length may vary depenending on whether or not I choose to combine some chapters. I’ll try to post regularly (though I’ll have to figure a schedule out for that) as I’m now enjoying my summer holidays! 
> 
> Hope to post soon!
> 
> Edit: I added an extra scene onto the end–it helps the timeline make more sense if it’s attached here!


	4. And So It Begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or any affiliated characters.
> 
> Warning: This work is entirely unbeta’d, so all mistakes are entirely my own!
> 
> Kudos and comments are very much appreciated! <3
> 
> Constructive criticism is more than welcome!

When Cedric Diggory had seen Ron Weasley leaving Gryffindor Tower that evening before dinner, he’d known he’d gotten his chance.

 

“Hey! Ron! Ron Weasley!” Cedric called, jogging over to the redhead. The boy stopped and turned to him, a bewildered expression on his face. “Uh... Hey?”

 

Cedric came to a halt before digging around in his robes to find the small piece of paper. “Aha!” He pulled the square of parchment from his pocket, and thrust it out to the red head. “I was actually going to ask if you could give Harry this letter.”

 

“Why?” Ron asked, already making to take the note from him. Cedric pulled his hand back slightly before relenting to the Weasley’s curiosity.

 

“It’s for Harry. I wanted to apologize about that mess this morning. I figured he could use a little encouragement, you know.”

 

The Weasley-Ron-quickly scanned the note before looking back at Cedric, his eyes looking at him in a way that seemed impossibly perceptive for someone who others assumed to be the least bright of his siblings. He cocked his head to the side, as if attempting to detect some hidden lie. Apparently deciding that Cedric had passed some kind of test, Ron grinned widely and tucked the note into his robes. “Okay, mate, I believe you. I’ll pass it along.”

 

Cedric smiled, thankful that he hadn’t needed to break into Gryffindor Tower to deliver it. “Thanks. Be sure to put it somewhere he’ll see it!” Cedric said, clapping Ron on the shoulder and walking past him, towards the library.

 

“You got it!” Ron called to the brunet’s retreating back. Cedric walked away to the sound of the redhead’s footsteps clicking on the stairs back up to the lion’s den.

 

–

 

Cedric dug through his trunk, clothes and quills and books being strewn around his bed in his effort to find what he was looking for. While he knew he should be down in the Great Hall with the rest of the students, he wanted to find the book he’d been so entranced with in his fifth year. It was a wonderful book, and one he knew anyone not raised with magic would enjoy immensely–someone like, say, Harry. It brought forth a feeling of magical discovery–a feeling Cedric was sure Harry was familiar with. It would make the perfect Christmas gift.

 

 

It took longer than he would have liked to find the book, maybe fifteen minutes or so, but he found he didn’t mind. The best presents were those that had effort and consideration put into them. It was a little rough and worn around the edges, but it was well cared for, and with a simple repairing spell, it looked good as new.

 

After placing the book on his bed and quickly stuffing everything he’d misplaced back into his trunk, Cedric headed towards the Great Hall. Though he’d spent a considerable amount of time looking for the present, there was more than enough time to enjoy a nice, quiet Christmas Eve dinner with his housemates.

 

Cedric slipped through the doors unnoticed. He was aided with the thin flow of students traveling in and out through the great oak doors, as dinner was winding down and people were beginning to make their way to the dormitories. The Hufflepuff prefect walked to his house table and sat down, and before he could even have a bite of his dinner, was inundated with a barrage of questions. It was surprising how many questions there were, considering there were only a few of them left over the break.

 

“Cedric, did you really ask if you could fuck Harry Potter?”

 

“No, no, I heard he proposed! By the way, when’s the marriage? Oh, I hope I’m a bridesmaid–“

 

“Fuck that! I’m gonna have to object because that Harry Potter has got the nicest arse I’ve ever seen-“

 

“Don’t you dare! I’ll fight you for him!”

 

“Shhhhhhhh!” Cedric didn’t immediately register who quietened the table, as his head was reeling with the sudden flood of questions, but was beyond grateful. Cho Chang appeared, as if from thin air, and sat herself down at the table, right next to Cedric. She immediately begged him for an explanation. “Cedric, you’ve got to tell me what happened this morning! Is it true? Is it all true?”

 

“Okay, slow down! One question at a time, yeah?” Cedric said, a note of pleading in his voice. Cho nodded, excited, before starting from the beginning. “So, Cedric, this morning. What happened? We’re all dying to know,” she said, sweeping a hand loosely up and down the Hufflepuff table, before turning her bright, imploring eyes to him.

 

“Look, I’m not sure that’s the best idea. Don’t kiss and tell, right?”

 

“Oh my god, you kissed him?” Cho squealed, nearly reaching the frequency of dog whistles.

 

“No! Gosh, where are you guys getting all of this stuff?”

 

“The rumor mill works quickly,” Ernie McMillan said solemnly, his tone more suited to someone judging a murder trial.

 

“Okay, listen, all I’ll say is this: no, I did not propose; no, I did not kiss Harry Potter; no I did not... erm, _do the do_ with Harry Potter. All that happened was that someone asked Harry who he’d screw, marry, or kill out of Riddle, Malfoy and me. We decided we’d have a friendly bit of competition. That’s really all that happened. Promise.”

 

The reaction he got to that was highly unexpected. To Cedric, at least. He’d hoped for an ‘okay, we understand!’ Naively, apparently.

 

“Man, quit holding out on us! Tell us what really happened!”

 

“Wait, what if he’s telling the truth? Maybe that’s how this whole mess got started–“

 

“Damn! I was hoping to ask how the bloke was in bed–“

 

“Oh, so that’s where this tournament came from!”

 

Cedric, who had zoned out, exasperated, once they started talking once again, bolted upright at that last sentence. “Wait, wait, what did you just say?”

 

Cho, who had spoken the last sentence, looked at him intently. “The tournament! Haven’t you heard?”

 

“Uh, no?”

 

“Oh. Oh, no,” Cho said, suddenly looking just this side of panicked.

 

“What? What’s wrong?” Cedric asked, his voice filled with concern. He put a hand on her arm, urging her to continue.

 

“Oh, Cedric, that competition with you and Riddle this morning? Someone started a bet on who could get with Harry first. It’s a school wide competition! Since you guys threw down the gauntlet, I guess everyone else just sort of assumed that Harry was free game... Merlin, if I’d known that no one had told you–I thought that was why you were trying to find him today!”

 

Cedric gaped at her, at a loss for words. “I... I–It was only supposed to be us three... How? Who started the bet?”

 

Cho grabbed him by the shoulders and, in a true show of friendship, ignored his _very important_ question and shook him roughly. “You idiot! Why didn’t you song him senseless and just be done with it? Have I not taught you better?!”

 

“Cho–Cho, stop!” Cedric choked out, grappling for a hold on her so that she wouldn’t accidentally scramble his brains. After finally managing to hold her still, Cedric stopped a moment to catch his breath. With a quick look around, he realized that more than a few people were staring in their direction. He felt smothered by their attention. Not willing to finish this conversation in front of an audience, Cedric grabbed her by the hand and led her out of the Great Hall and into a (conveniently placed) shadowy alcove.

 

“Cedric, what the heck–“

 

“Cho, could you repeat what you said earlier? And I swear if you try and shake me again–“ Cedric said, warning.

 

Cho lowered her hands where they had been about to rest on his shoulders, and watched him carefully. “Remember that competition you and Riddle and Malfoy started this morning?”

 

Cedric nodded, still eyeing her hands warily, nervous she might try to shake him again.

 

“The whole school has decided to join in. There’s even a betting pool on it. Seriously, how have you not heard about this? It’s all anyone’s been talking about since breakfast.”

 

“Well, I guess I was a little preoccupied, what with trying to find Harry and all.” Cedric scratched the back of his head, suddenly embarrassed by his behavior. “Merlin, this is all my fault, isn’t it?” He sighed, then looked at her earnestly. “Sorry I dragged you out of there, by the way. I needed to get away for a second... Not to mention how Harry must be feeling! Merlin, I’m an idiot.”

 

“It’s fine,” Cho said, waving a hand in a dismissive gesture. She stepped out of the alcove, before smiling at Cedric. “All good? Right then, let’s go. You still haven’t gotten to eat.”

 

Cedric laughed, strained. “Thanks, mom.”

 

“No problem,” she said, before taking him by the arm and dragging him back to the Hufflepuff table. “I mean, it’s not like my food’s gotten cold while I’ve been trying to help you or anything...”

 

“Oh, don’t start,” Cedric groaned, but he found himself struggling to stop a smile from emerging.

 

His smile turned to a small frown when he saw Riddle gliding out of the Great Hall, two or three of his ‘friends’ following behind. Riddle looked over quickly, his eyes catching Cedric’s as heslowed to a halt just to the side of him. “Why, hello, Diggory.”

 

The dark haired boy cast a quick glance at his followers, jerking his head just slightly, and, taking his cue, they immediately continued forward to the Slytherin dorms. He turned back to Cedric, his eyes lingering on Cho for a moment, before returning his burning gaze to the other boy.

 

“Hi, Tom,” Cedric said, a wary smile coming to his lips. His grin grew more genuine as he saw Riddle’s irritation at being referred to in such a familiar manner. “Have you heard about the tournament?”

 

“Indeed I have,” he said, his eyes glimmering with a sort of dark amusement. Cedric repressed a shudder. “It seems our antics have attracted quite the interest. I trust you’re working very hard to keep up?”

 

“I guess you could say that,” Cedric said, measuring his words carefully. “I’m not trying to rush into it, is all. Slow and steady wins the race, of course.”

 

“Of course,” Riddle agreed, his eyes sharp and assessing, even as he still had an amiable grin on his face. “Though it is said that a swift defeat saves many lives, as well.”

 

Cedric nodded his head, acknowledging the point, before switching topics. “It is weird, though, that our competition turned into such a big spectacle. You wouldn’t have anything to do with that, would you?” He knew the question would probably get him nowhere, but it was always worth a try.

 

Riddle laughed, a rich, deep chuckle that was simultaneously warm and unsettling. “Why would I ever do that?” He asked, sobering. “The more competition there is, the more annoying obstacles are in my way. Why would I delay my victory?”

 

“Well, someone’s confident,” Cho said, smiling brightly. She clutched Cedric’s arm, a sign of her lingering uneasiness at the not-so-subtle barbs, but he could see that something about Riddle had sparked her interest. “But I think if anyone has a shot, it’s definitely Cedric. They’d be perfect together, don’t you agree?” She said, turning big brown eyes to the Hufflepuff.

 

Cedric smiled down at her. He wasn’t sure if she was aware of the underlying meaning of her words or if she was genuinely oblivious, but, either way, he was grateful. He needed someone to watch his back.

 

Cedric watched with something akin to satisfaction as Riddle’s smile tightened minutely. “I wouldn’t say perfect, but I think he has as good a chance as the others.” The way he left himself out of that sentence did not escape Cedric’s notice.

 

Riddle looked towards the Great Hall, searching, before turning his intense gaze back to Cedric. “Sorry, but I need to be off. I have a date to plan.” Cedric, puzzled, was about to try and figure out how to politely pry into that little sentence, but too soon, Riddle turned, ready to leave. He paused for a moment before looking over his shoulder. “And a Happy Christmas Eve, Cedric, Cho.” With a smirk and an air of victory, Riddle turned once more and made his way towards the Slytherin dorms.

 

Cedric watched him go, still a tiny bit confused. Date? Surely he hadn’t moved that quickly? Cedric brushed off the thought when he felt Cho’s hand tug on his sleeve. “Come on, Cedric. We still haven’t finished eating, yeah? Don’t worry about him.”

 

Cedric nodded, smiling tightly, before following her back into the Great Hall. He cast one last, suspicious look at Riddle’s back, before walking quickly after Cho.

 

–

 

After Tom’s unexpected visit, Harry ate his dinner thoughtfully, his mind drifting to the tournament. _They can’t possibly all want me, can they? That’s ridiculous!_ _Though_ , he supposed, _I guess the Boy Who Lived would be rather appealing, wouldn’t he?_

 

“Harry?”

 

Harry started, nearly spilling what little remained of his dinner all over himself. Honestly, it was getting kind of pathetic how often he seemed to be doing that. “Uh, yeah?”

 

“You dimwit, I’ve been trying to get your attention for the last five minutes! Honestly, you’d think you were deaf.”

 

Harry spluttered, offended. Ginny laughed, unfazed. “Okay, okay, listen,” she said, sobering slightly. He could still see her eyes twinkling with amusement, but he let it slide. “Creevey just told me the tournament doesn’t officially start until tomorrow. I think you’ll be getting plenty of Christmas presents this year, don’t you?” she asked, as innocently as possible. Harry fought the urge to throw a bread roll at her.

 

Instead he glowered at her, poking his fork into his potatoes. “I think I’ll just give everything to you guys, yeah?”

 

“Fine with me,” Ron said, smiling. “I’d be careful what you give the twins, though,” Ron said, shoving a thumb in their direction. “They’ve been planning something all day,” he muttered darkly. Harry had the unsettling thought that it probably had something to do with him.

“Duly noted,” he said. He turned back to his dinner, the apprehension for the following day settling in his stomach. He stared at his plate before acknowledging his loss of appetite. “I think I’m gonna head up, yeah? Gonna need my energy for tomorrow.”

 

Ginny smiled, her eyes sparkling. “Yep! By the way, Luna owled me. She says she thinks you’re going to have lots of running in your future!”

 

Harry just shook his head, huffing out a laugh, before extracting himself from the table and making his way, as quickly as possible, out of the Great Hall. He looked around quickly before ducking behind a corner and throwing his invisibility cloak over his head. Not a second later, two or three squealing first years raced through the doors, giggling his name.  _Thank Merlin for small mercies_ , he thought.

 

Quietly, he made his way to the boys’ dormitories in Gryffindor Tower, and collapsed, relieved, on his bed.

 

–

 

The next morning, Harry immediately knew that today was going to be weird. It seemed to be settled in his bones, this certainty that today would be odd. He considered just pretending to be asleep and staying in bed all day, but hardly had the chance to come to a decision before a pillow was thrown at his head.

 

“Ouch!” He shouted, his eyes flying open and his body bolting upright, before being hit again by another pillow. He was so startled he fell off the bed, and right onto something square and smooth and sharp.

 

“What the hell was that for?” Harry cried, scrambling to his feet and trying his best to ignore the pain in his side.

 

“It’s Christmas!” Ron said cheerfully, tossing a small, sloppily wrapped box to him. Harry caught it, his seeker’s reflexes fast as lightning. He stared at it, confused, before turning his bewildered gaze to Ron. “From me,” Ron said, before eyeing the mountain at the foot of Harry’s bed. “Not that you really need it. Anyway, Happy Christmas, you bastard.”

 

Harry looked at the box, then to Ron, then to the box again. A slow smile crept onto his face, before he ripped the covering off. Inside was a pile of chocolate frogs, along with a series of cards from other chocolate frogs for his collection. Harry grinned widely, before shoving a hand under his bed and wrapping it around something vaguely box like and tossing it to Ron. It bounced off the boy’s arm, and, in a lack of grace, Ron dove to catch it, nearly falling off of the bed as he did so.

 

Harry laughed, “Happy Christmas, mate.”

 

“Yeah,” Ron said, laughing just as hard. “Thanks.”

 

It was then, just after that moment of carefree fun, that Harry truly appreciated the _sheer amount_ of gifts piled at the foot of his bed. He absently wondered if this is what Dudley felt like on his birthday. There were so many, in fact, that they were also strewn on either side of his bed. One of them was notably smashed. _Ah_ , he thought. _So_ that’s _what I landed on earlier._

 

He bent over and grabbed it, quickly reading the note attached to it. It was from a name he didn’t recognize, nor did he care to, so he quickly disregarded it and tore open the wrapping. Inside, surrounded by tissue paper, was a remembrall. He appreciated the gift, he really did, but he really wished whoever had sent it wouldn’t have gone to the trouble.

 

He sighed, before turning to Ron and waving the remembrall back in forth. “Hey, mate, d’you want this?”

 

Ron glanced up, his eyes stormy with _something_ , and then plastered on a smile that wasn’t as convincing as he seemed to think it was. “Sure,” he said, holding out a hand to catch it. Harry looked at him, really looked at him, and saw something like irritation flicker through his friend’s eyes.

 

“Hey, are you okay?” He asked, tiptoeing his way through the maze of gifts, before placing the remembrall in Ron’s waiting palm. “It’s... It’s not about the gifts, is it? Because I can ask them to take them back, if that’s what you want–“

 

“No, Harry, that’s not what I want,” he snapped, before deflating just a little bit. “Sorry, I just–you don’t seem to appreciate that you’ve–well, that you’ve got _that_ ,” he said, waving a hand in the direction of the pile of gifts. “Mate, I’d kill for that. How can you–how can you just _not_ want it?”

 

“If I could give it to you, mate, I would,” Harry sighed, perching next to Ron on the bed. “Tell you what, though–you can take whatever you want outta that pile, so long as it’s not from anyone I actually care about, yeah?”

 

Ron looked at him, his smile definitely a little dimmer than usual, but there nonetheless. “Yeah, sure. Thanks, Harry.”

 

“No problem,” he said, clapping Ron on the back. He smiled brightly, hoping his cheer would spread through to Ron. “Enough of this. There’s gotta be more chocolate frog cards for your collection in here somewhere.”

 

Ron’s smile grew more sincere, and he dug his hand into the pile and retrieved a box wrapped in a truly nauseous orange color. “Take turns?”

 

“‘Course,” Harry said, smirking. “Think I got anything from the twins?”

 

“Oh, definitely! Open theirs first,” Ron said, his eyes gleaming with excitement. Harry saw the tension slowly leave his body and laughed. Maybe they could handle this whole thing together, as a team. The thought simultaneously lifted his spirits and sent them plummeting. God, if the presents were any indication, today was going to be _unbearable_. He shook off the thought and dove into the pile of gifts, searching for anything that screamed ‘spawn of Satan.’

 

–

 

By the time they got through the whole pile of gifts, the time was well on it’s way to eleven o’clock. Harry felt like Dudley, with all of these gifts. He’d gotten a total of thirty three, but ended up giving over half of them to various members of the Weasley family. It was definitely the best course of action, because the Weasleys had done so much for him already. It really was the least he could do.

 

Through their slow destruction of the pile of presents, Harry had been sure to set aside gifts from people who he actually knew and cared about. After he’d gotten through the whole mountain, he’d opened gifts from most of the Weasleys, Hermione, Hagrid, Draco, and a few of his other friends. He was ashamed to say that he was slightly disappointed that he didn’t get one from Cedric or Tom, though he knew he really shouldn’t have expected anything from them. He and Cedric were just becoming friends, and Tom... Well, everything about their... Acquaintance? Friendship? Relationship? Whatever it was was confusing enough. No need to complicate things. He still couldn’t stop his smile from slipping from his face.

 

He shook himself when he realized Ron was talking, and nodded along to his words while cradling the box in his lap.

 

“...for new robes, of course, but you know how it is back at home. Anyway, what did mum get you this year? Same as last?”

 

“Yep!” He replied, digging through the contents of the parcel. Inside was the signature Weasley sweater and tub of fragrant, delicious looking fudge. He pulled the soft, slightly scratchy fabric over his head, smiling at Ron’s rolled eyes. “Ready to head down for lunch, then?” Ron asked, brushing the sweet wrappers from his lap.

 

“Thought you’d never ask,” Harry said, slipping into a pair of trousers. He pulled on some shoes and stood, waving for Ron to hurry up. He did, but not without a great deal of exasperated huffing.

 

“Hey, you’re the one that suggested we head down,” Harry laughed, holding his arms in front of him in a placating gesture. Ron groaned. “Didn’t mean you had to be so chipper about it. Wanted to take my time, thank you very much.”

 

“You’re welcome,” Harry chirped, and laughed when Ron attempted to trip him.

 

–

 

Getting out of Gryffindor common room was the easy part. Ignoring the urge to run back in, however, was not as effortless.

 

By the time they stepped foot outside of the portrait, a small group of five or so students was lingering outside, their eyes flicking from Harry and then to... something else. Harry couldn’t see what the mysterious thing was, as Ron, the tall bastard, was standing directly in his line of sight.

 

Harry, curious boy that he was, peered from out behind Ron and nearly keeled over in shock when he saw who was standing there, waiting to greet him. Tom Riddle leant, clean cut and composed as ever, against the staircase banister, his eyes scanning over the pages of a book Harry would never have looked twice at. He absently wondered if Hermione had read it.

 

Quickly, as if sensing Harry was there, Riddle looked up, his dark eyes meeting Harry’s. Harry nearly turned and stomped away, his pride and his breakfast be damned, when he felt his stomach grumble softly. Sighing in defeat, Harry motioned for Ron to go on ahead of him, and then slipped out from his spot behind the red head and trudged towards Riddle, who was watching him keenly.

 

“Riddle,” Harry said, coming to a stop in front of the older boy. He met his eyes defiantly. “Fancy meeting you here.”

 

“Yes, Harry, indeed.” Riddle’s eyes glittered with dark amusement, his gaze raking up and down Harry’s form. Harry fought a shiver; whether it was from a slight fear or some innate arousal, he didn’t want to know. Harry fought to recover himself and stood up straighter, staring the other boy in the eye. “Any reason you’re standing directly outside of the Gryffindor dorms?”

 

“Why, to see you, Harry,” Tom said, his lips curling into a smirk. “It’s impolite to keep people waiting, you know.”

 

Harry flushed crimson, an angry muttering of “Shut up” escaping his lips. “I never even agreed to meet up with you, you arse.” Riddle just kept smirking, unfazed.

 

Suddenly feeling the eyes on his back, Harry turned to look at the students watching them, and then flicked his eyes to Riddle’s, shy now. “I’m heading to breakfast.” He tilted his head in a silent _are you coming, or not?_ Motion.

 

“The more the merrier,” he replied, and before Harry could get a word in edgewise, Riddle placed a _very conspicuous_ hand on the small of Harry’s back, leading him away from Gryffindor Tower. With no more words between them, Tom Riddle guided Harry towards a deserted hallway that most certainly did _not_ lead to the Great Hall. Not unless you knew which secret passages to take, of course.

 

“Riddle, what do you think you’re doing? If you’re not gonna take me to the Great Hall, I’m going to assume this is an attempted kidnapping.”

 

“Cute,” Riddle said, dryly. “Actually, I figured you’d rather avoid the other students, considering that pesky tournament starts this morning, but if you’d rather...”

 

“Fine,” Harry grumbled, allowing himself to be ushered down the hall once more. “But try anything and I will hex you into the next century.”

 

Riddle looked at him, his smile dark in ways that really shouldn’t make Harry feel the way he did. “Well, what’s pleasure without a little pain?”

 

Harry glared, and then brushed Riddle’s hand off of him, taking the lead. He looked behind him once, twice, and then pulled aside a portrait, darting inside like a shadow. When Riddle didn’t follow, Harry peered out from behind the painting and rolled his eyes at Riddle’s blankly surprised expression. “Come _on_ , you dolt. They’ll see us.”

 

Riddle blinked before shuffling inside the small corridor with a grace that Harry knew he’d never obtain. Harry could’ve sworn he heard Riddle mutter something like _Too late for that,_ but he ignored the thought and started down the small stairwell, towards the lower floors.

 

He tried not to think about how sneaking around like this brought up memories from his and Tom’s–Riddle’s, he corrected himself–first years at Hogwarts. It irked him how seamlessly they could slide from wary acquaintances to thick as thieves in moments of being together. He forcefully brushed off the thought and continued onward, the silence weighing awkwardly on Harry’s end. On Riddle’s end, however, Harry could almost taste his amusement.

 

Eventually, having gone down at least two floors, Harry couldn’t stand it anymore, and whirled around to look Riddle square in the eye. “What _is_ it, Riddle?”

 

“Oh, nothing, nothing...” Riddle said, his tone playful. “I just never knew you were so eager to be alone with me. In the dark. With no one to see.”

 

It was then that Harry realized he’d made a grave mistake. He hadn’t–he would never–but here they were, only inches from each other, in a secluded corridor where anything could happen and no one would be the wiser.

 

 _Except they would know_ , Harry told himself, _because they’d seen us leave together, and how had I not thought this through_ –

 

And then his mind drifted to what everyone else must think they were up to, and if Harry only closed the space between them, reached up on his tippy toes, then maybe he’d prove them rig–Harry shut that train of thought down as fast as he could and turned away, sending a glower in Riddle’s direction. He stormed down the stairs, hardly looking back.

 

His irritation didn’t stop the racing of his heart, though, as they finally reached their destination.

 

–

 

Harry looked both ways, as if he was crossing the street, before jumping out from behind the portrait situated at the end of a corridor to the left of the Great Hall doors. He heard Riddle step out quietly behind him, and without looking to make sure he was being followed, he slipped through the large oak doors and quickly took his place at the Gryffindor table.

 

“There you are, mate!” Ron exclaimed, clapping him on the back from behind. “You and Riddle just disappeared.”

 

“Oh, sorry, Ron,” Harry mumbled, scratching the back of his neck. “We were trying to get away from everyone.”

 

“Not to get up to anything _naughty_ , I hope?” Ginny said slyly, sliding into her seat across from him. Harry blushed, a feeling he was becoming increasingly more familiar with, and shook his head vehemently. “No! Merlin, Gin, you’re more invested in my love life than _I_ am.”

 

Ginny smirked at him, pleased with his embarrassment, and then stabbed a fork through one of the sausages on the platter between them. “Well, one of us has to make sure you actually _have_ a love life.”

 

Harry gaped at her, offended, before she shoved the speared sausage into his mouth. “Eat, you idiot. Not with your mouth open! Merlin, dealing with Ron is bad enough.”

 

–

 

After breakfast, Harry peeled out of there like the devil was on his heels. In the time it had taken him to eat two waffles, three people had handed him more gifts and two people had attempted to ask him on dates before being beaten off by Ron. Merlin, there were only twenty or so students at the school over the break, so how was this even _possible_?! By this point he was ready to just grab anyone, say they won, and be done with the whole endeavor.

 

And it had only been a _day_!

 

As he sat in the library, where he was absolutely _not_ _hiding_ , he couldn’t help but let his mind linger on the idea.

 

Of course, if he did ask someone to be his fake date, he’d actually have to find someone he’d be willing to fake date for a good couple months, but who could he even consider? The first person his mind wandered to was Ginny, but he couldn’t do that to her. After they broke up at the beginning of his sixth year, things had been shaky, but she’d soon become a very avid supporter of all of his romantic pursuits, and had started taking a more-than-friendly interest in several girls in her year, Luna Lovegood included. He couldn’t stand in the way of that. He didn’t _want_ to.

 

He had to admit they would make a lovely couple, but that also took both Luna and Ginny out of the game. Who else did that leave? He couldn’t ask Ron, he was the straightest boy Harry had ever met, and he certainly couldn’t ask Hermione; a blind man could see how much she and Ron liked each other. Not Neville, he’d never do it, and he didn’t trust anyone else enough to ask them.

 

Draco would certainly be a good option, but he didn’t want him to get in trouble with Riddle. Then again, it would allow him the Slytherin “throne,” but what would happen when they “broke up” several months later? He couldn’t risk it. That was another candidate gone.

 

Finding himself with no options and deciding he’d been hiding long enough, Harry crept from the small corner he’d been concealed in and promptly ran face first into something warm. And moving. And _alive_.

 

Harry jumped back, startled, before staring up into the warm brown eyes of one Cedric Diggory. Harry flushed down to his neck, apologies spilling from his lips. “Sorry, Cedric! Merlin–God, I didn’t even see you there–I hope I didn’t step on your foot or anything–“

 

Harry was stopped from his rambling by Cedric’s warm chuckle. “Don’t worry about it! I was actually looking for you, so this works out nicely. I think I should ask, though–what were you doing in there?” he asked, gesturing to the darkened alcove Harry had just emerged from.

 

“Not hiding,” he blurted out, then winced at how loud he’d said it. Not wanting to sound as weird as that probably made him sound, he hurried on, “Well, yes, hiding–not because that’s a hobby of mine, of course. I just–well, since this mess of a competition thing started–not that I blame you, of course–I’ve taken to avoiding anyone I can. Not that I want to avoid you–not you, of course–just... others. Other people.”

 

Harry turned his eyes to the floor; he couldn’t bear to look Cedric in the face after that disaster of an explanation. Harry wanted to die, he was so embarrassed. He was sure he was _glowing_ he was blushing so hard, but there was Cedric, standing there looking pretty and being so nice, and he could hardly think straight. Pun intended.

 

“What I meant to say,” Harry said, exhaling, “Was that I’m trying to avoid the other... Competitors. Does that make sense?” Harry said, turning his eyes up to look at Cedric earnestly.

 

Cedric smiled that unbearably sweet smile of his and laughed, a sound that made Harry feel like he was floating. “Yes, it does. Well, if you don’t want to be.. uh, _pursued_ by everybody else... I could–I could walk you to wherever you’re going? If you’re okay with it?” He turned shy eyes to Harry, a faint blush on his cheeks, and Harry knew that if he said no now he’d want to shoot himself later.

 

Harry was smiling so wide he felt like his face was going to split in half. “I’d love that!” He said. “I’m thinking of heading down to Hagrid’s, I’ve just gotta grab some gloves and stuff from my dorm–you could come with me, if you wanted, but you don’t have to, of course, you could just drop me off at Gryffindor tower. But Hagrid has lots of stuff to, uh, look at,” Harry finished lamely.

 

Thankfully, Cedric only grinned and offered his arm like a true gentleman. Harry melted just a little bit. “Well, I’d be perfectly happy to come with you. If we could stop by my dorm on the way, too, while we’re at it?”

 

“Sure! Since you’re being so nice–not that you’re not always nice, of course! But anyway, yes, yes, I’d be happy to.”

 

With that, Harry lightly grasped Cedric’s offered arm, smiling shyly, and let himself be led to Cedric’s dorms first.

 

 _Yes_ , he thought, his heart beating wildly against his rib cage, _this was a weird day. A weird,_ good _day._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dudes, I know. I suck big time! I’m so sorry, it’s been what? Three months? I’m so sorry, life’s been crazy. I can’t promise a consistent posting schedule like I’d hoped, but I’ll try and post as often as I can manage. Anyways, enjoy an extra long chapter to make up for it!
> 
> (By the way, if there’s any inconsistencies please let me know! I suck at spotting them!)

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!
> 
> I’m Christina, and this is my very first fanfiction on Ao3! This fic has been floating around my head for an entirely too long time, so it’s an utter relief to finally have it written down. I plan on making more chapters for this story, but I’m not sure when they’ll come out–I look forward to updating in the future, though! Also–the rating for this fic may go up in the future, but my outline is pretty hazy, so we’ll see.
> 
> This fic is pretty much self indulgent, as I really just wanted to see some possessive Tom while also seeing flustered Harry. I also love the cute moments with Cedric and the buddy moments with Draco, I just love them all so much, I couldn’t help myself! 😂
> 
> If you’re interested in seeing more of my writing or checking out my art, feel free to check out my tumblr under the same username!


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